When Ericsson took the lead in the creation and roaming extension of network slices for SK Telecom, the number one operator in South Korea, it was the first time a proof-of-concept had been successfully implemented and evaluated on an intercontinental 5G trial network.

In 5G, network slicing will allow mobile operators to configure end-to-end networks that provide desired overall functionality and service parameters, allowing operators to maintain SLA's SK Telecom, who enjoys largest market share in South Korea, carried out 10 months of intense research into Federated Network Slicing in partnership with Ericsson.

The demonstration was hosted at SK Telecom’s 5G testbed in South Korea and comprised a maintenance worker communicating via Augmented Reality (AR) with colleagues on a visited network. The scenario used local breakout and edge cloud to enhance the experience in terms of latency and throughput.

Quality is extremely important, especially when it comes to intercontinental networks and wherever IoT-enabled applications are connected. Performance must remain both stable and reliable. The result of the proof-of-concept demo exceeds all expectations, especially when it comes to latency. Prior to the testing, latency stood at around 500 milliseconds, with Federated Network Slicing it was just 20 milliseconds. SK Telecom is now assessing the performance of the technology using various applications. These include real-time collaborative workspaces and other latency-sensitive applications.

Federated Network Slicing for 5G is designed to enable the provision of network slices globally, making sure that customers do not need individual agreements with different operators for a global service experience.

"As we move from 4G to 5G, there will be a lot of unique new services. Commonly we think of VR, AR, connected cars, and some mission-critical services. When the user, move everywhere, they need to keep the quality of their service, so Federated Network Slicing is very important. That is why we choose the collaboration with Ericsson – the number one mobile vendor in the world. Our collaboration is very fruitful to SK Telecom."